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Chapter 28

"AACHOO!" Charlie raised her hands to her face in order to capture the sneeze that escaped her. She sniffled and glared at Joey who was gazing at her in adoration "This isn't funny"

"I didn't say anything!" Joey defended innocently.

"You were going to" Charlie sniffled quietly.

"I was just thinking that you're totally adorable when you're sick!" Joey grinned.

"I hate being sick!" Charlie pouted at her girlfriend.

"Well than you shouldn't have jumped into the water" Joey smiled as she slid under the covers of the bed and pulled Charlie into her arms "How do you feel?"

"Terrible" Charlie sighed. She leaned her head on Joey's shoulder and wrapped an arm around her waist "And for the record I had to jump in"

"I know" Joey dropped a kiss on the older girls' slightly overheated forehead "It's a good thing we're heading back to the bay today..."

"We are?" Charlie mumbled.

"Uh-huh" Joey nodded "Which means that you..." she poked Charlie lightly in her ribs causing her release a small giggle "Get to go back to dry land"

"Just me?" Charlie responded in amusement "You are coming with me you know. I'd kind of miss you if you stayed out here"

"I know you would" Joey stated happily "I would miss you too...Which is why I'm going with you"

"Good"

"And after you've seen a doctor you're going directly to bed"

"Yeah?" Charlie grinned impishly "I like the way you think Miss. Collins"

"To sleep" Joey smiled, feeling a blush spread across her cheeks "You need to get better"

"Oh" Charlie's expression fell and she pouted in disappointment "I don't understand why I got the stupid cold and Ruby's perfectly fine"

"Neither do I..." Joey shrugged.

"It sucks..." Charlie complained softly "I feel really hot but then I feel really cold, my throat is killing me and so is my head"

"I'm sorry" Joey tightened her embrace slightly "But we'll be home really soon. I promise"

"I know" Charlie mumbled quietly "Where's Ruby?"

"I think she's still asleep" the younger girl answered.

"Typical"

"I have to go..." Joey said, reluctantly standing up "Or we'll never get home"

"Okay" Charlie pouted.

She leaned forward and was about to kiss Charlie when the older girl placed two fingers on her lips halting her progress.

"What?" she mumbled.

"I'm sick" Charlie smiled "You can't kiss me or you'll get sick too...Sorry Babe"

Joey pouted and leaned back "What If I kiss you quickly?"

Charlie thought for a moment "Uh...." Joey looked on hopefully as Charlie seemed to be considering it "...No"

"Fine" Joey spoke softly before she pulled Charlie into a tight hug "I'll just have to hug you and refuse to let go"

"Totally fine by me" Charlie giggled.

---

"At last!" Charlie stated exaggeratedly as soon as she stepped off the boat "Dry land!"

"You're so dramatic" Joey laughed, wrapping an arm securely around Charlie's waist and pulling her close.

"I have to agree" Ruby nodded as they began to walk slowly.

"Whatever" Charlie stuck her tongue out at Ruby playfully before turning her gaze to Joey "Where are we going?"

"We're going to the doctors" Joey responded slowly "and then we're going home so you can sleep...Is that Okay? Because I'm sure Rachel would come out if I asked her to..."

"Its fine" Charlie nodded "I'm just kind of tired..."

"Am I being paranoid?" Ruby questioned nervously "Or is that car following us?"

Both Joey and Charlie looked over their shoulders to see a dark blue car driving slowly further up the road. They could just make out the outline of a man in the car but couldn't see him clearly. When he saw them watching him he quickly turned the car around and drove away. The three girls exchanged unnerved looks before they continued walking.

---

"Ugh!" Charlie groaned as she slumped down on the couch. She buried her face in the cushion and breathed in slowly trying to push the rising sickness away. The doctor had said that she had laryngitis and given her antibiotics to take as well as prescribed bed rest.

Joey allowed her gaze to linger on the other girl for a moment before she walked into the kitchen and grabbed a glass of water and two of the penicillin pills the doctor had prescribed Charlie.

"Charlie?" she spoke softly.

Charlie glanced up at her "Uh-huh?"

"You need to take these" Joey said lifting her hand to reveal the pills "They'll help with the achyness"

Charlie sat up on the couch and took them with the water Joey handed her. She made a sour face as she handed Joey the glass back "Yuk"

Joey laughed at her as she held out her hand towards Charlie. Charlie looked confused for a moment before she took it and Joey pulled her gently off the couch.

She grinned as she noticed Joey was pulling her towards the bedroom "As much as I want to...I'm kind of sick over here so..."

"Can't what?" Joey interrupted as she pulled Charlie into the bedroom "What exactly are you thinking Charlie?"

"Um...I...Well..." Charlie laughed somewhat nervously "I wasn't thinking what you think I was thinking"

"Yeah you were" Joey giggled as Charlie blushed brightly.

"Yeah...well...Okay so I was thinking about that" Charlie confessed smiling at her girlfriend.

Joey shook her head in amusement "You need to rest Charlz" with that pulled back the covers and gazed expectantly at Charlie who slid into the bed once again trying to retrieve warmth.

"But I'm not tired!" Charlie protested.

Joey rolled her eyes "You don't need to sleep...You just need to be comfortable...And I can tell that you're cold"

Charlie looked slightly surprised "How did you know that?"

Joey winked mysteriously "I have many talents"

"You're gonna stay with me aren't you?" Charlie asked.

"Of course!" Joey exclaimed "Where Else would I possibly want to be?"

Charlie shrugged waiting for Joey to join her in the bed. Joey did so after a moment and huddled closer to Charlie under the covers. They looked up suddenly at a soft knock on the door.

"Are you guys decent?" Ruby called from behind it "I kind of have my hands full so I can't cover my eyes right now..."

"You can come in Ruby" Joey called out as she shuffled away from Charlie.

Charlie pushed herself up in the bed just as Ruby managed to open the door with her elbow and kick it fully open with her foot. She entered with two steaming cups in her hand and walked over to the edge of the bed.

"I made you guys some of my Famous hot chocolate" she smiled at them "Extra marshmallows and extra chocolate sprinkles" she handed them both a cup and blew on her slightly overheated hands.

"Thanks Rubz" Joey and Charlie smiled in unison.

"God this is good!" Joey exclaimed as she took a tentative sip of the hot liquid.

"Ruby's secret recipe" Charlie grinned as she set her cup on the nightstand "It's amazing... almost worth being sick just so she'll make them"

Ruby shrugged and grinned at Charlie mischievously.

"Don't even think about it..." Charlie warned in a low tone.

Joey looked between Charlie and Ruby in confusion "Wha..."

"Rudolph the red nosed reindeer had a very shiny nose..."

Joey burst out laughing as Ruby began to sing and Charlie pouted.

"Ruuuuuby!" Charlie whined. She turned to Joey who was still laughing and slapped her arm lightly "Joey!"

"Ow!" Joey's laughter subsided slightly and she reached up to rub her arm "Sorry...It was funny!"

"Sorry" Ruby grinned as she sat on the edge of the bed "I shouldn't be teasing you...Especially since it's my fault that you're sick"

"You're right" Charlie agreed though a warm smile lit up her features "You shouldn't be"

"Thanks again for that" Ruby smiled "You didn't have to jump in after me..."

"I did" Charlie stated adamantly.

"No...I mean nobody forced you to" Ruby shrugged "But you did it anyway even though you were terrified about the boat and stuff..."

"Anytime" Charlie smiled.

Ruby leaned forward and hugged her tightly before pulling away and standing up "Well you guys can just relax okay? I'll make dinner tonight"

"You don't have to..." Joey began to say before the teenager interrupted them.

"I know...Bu I want to"

"Okay..." Joey nodded slowly "Thanks Rubz"

Ruby smiled brightly at them before she turned and walked out of the room.

"Sooo..." Joey drawled "What should we do?"

"I know!" Charlie grinned as she turned slightly to face Joey.

"I'm either not going to like this or I'm going to like it too much..." Joey bit her lip nervously "Is it um...Pg-13?"

"Yeah" Charlie nodded "I was thinking that since there's still loads of stuff I don't remember about you we could like....Ask questions but we have to answer truthfully"

"Hmmn...Okay" Joey smiled softly "I'm in"

"So favourite things and not so favourite things?"

"Okay" Joey nodded slowly

"You get to ask the first question" Charlie spoke.

"Uh...Favourite colour? I figured we should start simple..."

"Red" Charlie answered instantly.

"Really? Why?"

"You look amazing in red. I remember you wore it once before I figured out that I was in love with you and...Wow."

"Didn't know you checked me out that much" Joey grinned happily.

"Yup..." Charlie nodded "What about you? Favourite colour?"

"Blue"

"Any particular shade of blue?"

"No..." Joey shook her head "It depends on the mood"

"Huh" Charlie nodded thoughtfully "I think I can see how your mood might change your preference"

"Not my mood" Joey corrected quietly "Your mood"

"Huh? Mine?"

"Your eyes" Joey raised a hand to Charlie's cheek "They change colour with your mood. They're navy blue when you wake up. When you're with Ruby they're sky blue when you're with me they're my favourite colour of all...Almost green. Like an ocean colour but they have tiny specks of gold in them, that you wouldn't be able to see unless you looked really closely"

"And now?" Charlie whispered taking Joey's hand in her own.

"Stunning"

Charlie ducked her head slightly to conceal the blush on her cheeks. She smiled when she felt Joy place a soft kiss on her hand and looked up at her again "My turn?"

Joey nodded.

"Favourite movie?"

"Wow Uh..." Joey bit her lips and thought hard "Girl interrupted...What about you?"

"Angeline Jolie?" Charlie smiled knowingly before answering "Pay it forward"

"Serious movie..." Joey said in surprise.

"Hey!" Charlie exclaimed in mock offence "I can do serious!"

"I just mean...It's so sad!" Joey responded.

"Have you watched it?"

Joey nodded "I was crying like a baby by the end"

"Me too" Charlie nodded thoughtfully "That's why I like it...It makes you think and reconsider your own actions"

"I guess you're right..."

"So..." Joey interrupted the silence that had settled between them "Kisses or m&m's?"

"Wow you get right to the important stuff..." Joey bit her lip "Chocolate preferences..."

"You have a good shot at getting it right" Charlie pointed out "there are only two answers"

"Umm...I prefer to kiss you?" Joey attempted.

"Nice try...Wrong answer"

"I think..." Joey smiled "If I had a choice I would give you all of the chocolate I have. So your preference is all that matters..."

"That's sweet" Charlie smiled "I prefer your answer to the other two"

"Worst date?" Joey asked.

"Hugo" Charlie responded instantly "Without a doubt. I can't believe I remember that stupid date but don't remember you..."

"What was wrong with it?"

"He's a prick" Charlie stated quietly "And he wasn't you...You were all I talked about all night..."

"I was?" Joey smiled happily.

"You were" Charlie nodded seriously "So...Yours?"

"I was about seventeen" Joey responded "I was at a theme park with this girl and my Dad showed up screaming about how it was wrong to be gay and that I was just doing it to piss him off"

"I'm sorry" Charlie whispered, pulling Joey slightly closer to her.

"Its okay" Joey smiled at her "You had nothing to do with it...Just carp from my past. That's all"

"Still...You shouldn't have had to put up with it..." Charlie said quietly "You're amazing Joey and you didn't deserve any of that crap from him or your brother. I love you so much"

"I love you too" Both girls leaned slowly forward.

"JOEY!" Ruby yelled from the kitchen "CHARLIE! DINNER!"

"Crap..." Joey muttered leaning her forehead against Charlie's.

"Saved by the yell" Charlie smiled as she stood up and held a hand out to Joey "I'm sick remember? The kissing ban is still in place"

Joey sighed but took Charlie's hand and allowed herself to be pulled from the room.

TBC